Trending: Smoked Meat

Ted Nakato, Co-owner, Pono Farm

From the smoky pits of Southern barbecue to gristly Montreal kosher delis, smoked meat is more than a method of preserving food, but a way of sharing a culture of flavor.

“People love smoked meat because it adds great flavor to numerous dishes and allows chefs and eateries from different regions to put their own personal stamp on their meat,” says Ted Nakato, co-owner of Pono Farm and Fine Meats.

Depending on the wood available, chefs can put their own regional stamp of flavor on their meats. “We use Washington State apple wood to smoke our meat,” shares Nakato.

“One of the virtues of smoked meat is that it enables us to use ‘lower end’ cuts like beef brisket and pork shoulder and make something great out of them,” he adds. But Nakato does caution against the use of too much smoke, which is more likely to happen when using liquid smoke rather than actual smoke.